Contagion VR: Outbreak breaks into Early Access with free demo

Back in 2014, we covered Contagion, a multiplayer co-op zombie game that was dark as all hell and equally hard, but with delightful twists and incredibly well done maps. As Craig said of the game at the time, the levels aren’t huge but they’re incredible densely designed, and built to be slowly explored. Well, Contagion is coming to VR now as Contagion VR: Outbreak, and I can’t imagine a better pairing. There’s no need to rush through this world, and thank god, because rushing and the current state of VR don’t work that well anyway.

So a slower, bleaker zombie shooter with multiplayer, that feels more like Resident Evil 2 than Left 4 Dead? Absolutely, you’ve sold me. There’s a PVP mode for online play, and a number of single player campaigns, based on different characters and their stories at various points in the same outbreak.

Right. So. I like everything about that. The moment you drop a weapon and pull out your cell phone was weirdly cool for me? That you have this form of inventory management that’s equally immersive? You have to pull your flashlight from your vest but that’s also where you return it to, and otherwise you don’t have light? I did the limitations slash possibilities for the kind of design. You have to have at least one hand free to open doors but you don’t want to open doors without a really decent-ass weapon so… that kind of tension draws me in. I think I could go without every single drawer in the bathroom and kitchen being openable only to have nothing inside. I know me. I’ll search every single drawer in that entire city, because what if I miss one cool thing?

Buy the Early Access version of the game or download the demo on Steam.